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Effective Jan. 8, all eligible non-European travelers transiting or traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences or short-term study for six months or less will require an electronic travel authorization (ETA) prior to travel.
Key Points:
Additional Information: The ETA is valid for two years or until passport expiration date, whichever comes first, and the application fee is £10 (about US$13). Officials advised that an ETA may take up to three working days to process. All eligible non-European nationals are required to have a valid ETA when traveling to the U.K., even when traveling by land between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Once granted, ETAs are digitally linked to a traveler’s passport and allow for stays of up to six months at a time. The ETA is not a visa but serves as a digital permission to travel that allows for both short trips and extended stays.
The ETA system is a major change to the U.K.’s travel regulations. This effort is part of a larger government plan to transform the border and immigration system. The government is also introducing a new eVisa to replace biometric residence permits, biometric residence cards, passport endorsements (such as indefinite leave to enter wet-ink stamps) and vignette stickers in passports (such as entry clearance or visa vignettes). The Home Office is focusing on developing a border and immigration system that is more digital and streamlined. Employees and employers should be aware of the upcoming changes and prepare now for travel or transit through the United Kingdom.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
The government announced expired physical documentation will be accepted for international travel after Dec. 31 until March 2025 for visa holders making the transition to the new eVisa system.
Additional Information: Officials are responding to reports of technical issues with the application system and problems securing eVisas. In a statement by Seema Malhotra, U.K. Minister for Migration and Citizenship, she advised visa holders that a “wide range of guidance and support is available.” The government recently published updated guidance on the transition to eVisas, including informational videos and a range of downloadable fact sheets to provide further guidance and resources on the most frequently asked questions.
BAL Analysis: Secretary of State for the Home Department Yvette Cooper, MP, recently published a statement reaffirming the government’s commitment to bring down historically high levels of net migration and restore order to its “broken” immigration system.
The Home Office is transitioning to a new eVisa system to create a more digital and streamlined border and immigration system. The grace period is designed to ease the shift to the digital system and address technical issues faced by some visa holders. The March 31, 2025, date will be kept “under review,” and officials stated that this update does not affect the way that Border Force conducts its passenger checks and that passengers will remain subject to the usual immigration checks and requirements.
Copyright © 2024 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.
The U.K. government announced updates on the change of commercial partner for visa application centers, specifically where and when the new supplier will commence operations.
Additional Information: Applicants should receive email updates from TLScontact and VFS Global if their application is impacted. However, officials stated these changes will not affect application decisions or how long it takes to get a decision. More locations are expected to be added in the future, and applicants can sign up for email updates here to be notified when more locations are added.
The government announced its acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations on the rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW).
Additional Information: The NLW is different from the U.K. Living Wage and the London Living Wage, calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, that are voluntary pay benchmarks and not legally binding requirements. The NLW higher rate (£12.21) is still lower than the £12.60-an-hour rate calculated by the Living Wage Foundation that is paid voluntarily by 15,000 U.K. employers.
BAL Analysis: The NLW pay rise will impact over 3 million workers next year. Government officials for the first time asked the Low Pay Commission to consider the cost of living, including expected trends in inflation up to March 2026, when recommending the NLW. The Low Pay Commission’s recommendations also intend to meet the government’s ambition for the NLW rate to reach at least two-thirds of median earnings in 2024. The 18-20 NMW rise also highlights the government’s first step toward a single adult rate being extended to 18-year-olds in future years. Officials stated these increases build on the government’s commitment to be a pro-business, pro-worker and pro-growth government.
The government announced the visa allocation for the Seasonal Worker visa route for 2025.
Additional Information: The Seasonal Worker visa route is designed to allow foreign nationals to work in temporary jobs in the horticulture and poultry sectors and meet the varying labor demand in these sectors while maintaining levels of domestic food production. The government is taking action to keep costs down and provide certainty for these sectors to secure the labor and skills needed.
The government announced changes to the submission process of the commercial partner visa application.
Additional Information: For applicants inside the U.K., appointment availability may be limited for a short period of time. Applicants outside the country should receive email updates from TLScontact and VFS Global if their application is impacted.
The government announced the list of nationalities that will soon be able to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) as part of a new Statement of Changes.
Additional Information: As part of the Statement of Changes, the government also announced the revocation of visa-exempt status for nationals of Jordan. Jordanian nationals are no longer allowed to apply for an ETA and now require a visa prior to traveling to the U.K. As BAL previously reported, the ETA pilot program originally launched Oct. 25, 2023, for Qatari nationals. The ETA is a prescreening system for visa-free foreign nationals to obtain digital permission for travel or transit through the U.K. Under the ETA system, visitors will be allowed to stay in the U.K. for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study, or three months under the creative worker visa concession.
BAL Analysis: Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia traveling to the U.K. can now apply for an ETA through the U.K. ETA app. Further nationalities will soon become subject to ETA, and employees and employers should be aware of the upcoming changes and prepare now for travel or transit through the United Kingdom.
The Home Secretary announced that the planned increase to the minimum income threshold for those bringing dependents to the United Kingdom on family visas is on hold.
Additional Information: The Home Secretary also stated that MAC will review key sectors within international recruitment, including IT and engineering. The ministerial statement demonstrates a continued support for the changes announced earlier this year, including increases to salary thresholds for skilled workers and health and care workers. Other proposed changes include eliminating the ability for Health and Care Worker visa holders filling care worker and senior care worker roles to bring dependents with them and an end to the 20% “going rate” salary discount for shortage occupations.
BAL Analysis: The statement highlights the new Labour Party’s legal migration objectives and reintroduces expected reforms to migration policy. British citizens and those settled in the U.K. who want their family members to join them will not be impacted by the planned hike to the minimum income threshold yet.
The Home Office continues to send out invitations for individuals to switch from their physical immigration documents to an electronic visa, or ‘eVisa,’ as the government intends to no longer issue physical immigration documents by 2025.
Additional Information: This digitalization effort is part of a larger plan by the government to transform the border and immigration system. The government has also introduced the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme. The ETA is a digital permission to travel for those wanting to visit but who do not need a visa. Beginning Feb. 22, nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were required to apply for an ETA before traveling to the U.K. By the end of 2024, an ETA will be required for all visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, including those visiting from European countries, Australia and the United States.
BAL Analysis: Officials stated that invitations will continue to be issued in phases before the process opens to all BRP holders. eVisas are designed to be a safer process by reducing the risk of fraud, loss and abuse of physical documents while providing a more secure way to prove immigration status.
The Home Office announced that the second-round ballots for the 2024 Taiwan Youth Mobility Scheme are now open.
Additional Information: There are a total of 1,000 places available to individuals from Taiwan for 2024, as with previous years; 800 total places were allocated after the first ballot closed in February, and now the remaining 200 spots will be made available in the second ballot. The visa scheme allows selected individuals to live, work and study in the U.K. for up to two years.
BAL Analysis: Successful applicants should receive an email by July 31. Those who are unsuccessful in the second ballot will receive an email within two weeks of the ballot closing and no further action is required. BAL will continue to monitor Youth Mobility Scheme developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.